French weekend weather forecast April 18 - 19: sunny but risk of rain
Temperatures will continue to remain above seasonal averages
Most areas will be sunny this weekend, however there is a risk of rain in several regions
Emvat Mosakovskis/Shutterstock
A bright and sunny start to the weekend may be marred by Sunday rain in the south.
Temperatures will drop slightly as the weekend progresses, but remain above average for the season.
Friday April 17
Friday is forecast to be calm and sunny across the country, bringing a hint of the coming summer months.
Some sparse clouds in the north and centre of France are the only disturbances. Rain is not forecast anywhere.
Temperatures will remain high, around 18C in the north and up to 24C in the south-west, with the east and Riviera seeing highs of around 22C.
Some parts of southern France will see temperatures increase by around 15C from early morning to afternoon, as mornings are still chilly.
Saturday April 18
Morning clouds – and potentially light fog – are forecast throughout most of France but should lift as the day progresses.
Thicker clouds will remain in the south-west along the Atlantic coastline, as well as parts of central France.
Rain will be limited to showers around the English Channel and the Pas-de-Calais/Nord departments.
Later in the evening, thick clouds will return to the north, potentially bringing the risk of overnight storms.
In the south, skies will be clearer, and there is no risk of rain.
Temperatures will remain similar to the day before, although drop slightly in the north, around 14C to 15C in Brittany and around the Belgian border.
At the same time, temperatures will increase by 1C or 2C in the south, particularly around Bordeaux and along the Mediterranean coast.
Sunday April 19
Conditions are expected to deteriorate on Sunday, but it is still unclear by how much.
Thick clouds that appear on Saturday night could lead to storms early in the morning across central regions, and bring thunderstorms to the east.
A risk of rain from the Pyrénées to the Alps is present across the south, but may turn out to be little more than showers.
As the day progresses, the western coast should get sunnier and be clear of rain or cloud, slowly bringing these improved conditions east.
The north will remain sunny following the previous day’s rain, although slightly cooler, with highs of 15C - 18C.
Temperatures remain largely similar in the south despite the risk of rain.
Early forecasts for next week see a calm start, although the risk of thunderstorms in the Pyrénées and an eventual bout of rainfall moving in from the English Channel to sweep across France are expected.
